How cold do you consider cold water?

[jsado]

I like to wear my hood for anything below 70 and really don't consider the water "cold" unless it's below 60

 

[DOkie]

Dive last weekend was 72 on surface and 39 at depth. I LOVE thermalclines.... (sp? sorry!) I think cold is relative to the diver. Even though I regularly dive in what some might consider cold, take me Florida and I still get cold.

 

[Barken]

I suspect what we, as divers, feel is 'cold' relates to our individual perception of comfort, and is therefore subjective. I also suspect that what manufacturers define as 'cold' relates to whatever temperature allows them to demonstrate a level of performance in their gear that meets their marketing needs, and is therefore also subjective. When I think of 'cold' in the context of gear performance I think of water temps less than 50F. But, the cold that worries me more, especially with regard to regulator performance, are temperatures less than 40F.

What a perfect answer, thank you

 

[Xaryo]

I don't consider it cold until it's below 50 and even then it's not really cold until it's in the 30's.

Dave

I totaly agree with you.

Diving wet?

 

[Jimmer]

Below 50 is cold, below 40 is real cold. Lake Erie has some pretty rude thermoclines. Last weekend I did 2 deep wrecks below 100 feet, and at exactly 70 feet, the water temp drops about 30 degrees from the mid 70's to the mid 40's. That's a wake up call.

 

[jenlaur]

Anything below 75.

 

[irishsquid]

When water is no longer a liquid, but a solid.
Actually 50F in a 5mm is OK by me for around 40 mins., then I need hot coffee and a blanket for my SI.

 

[tschmitt]

Kind of depends on what your wearing. High 60's with no wetsuit gets pretty cold. 30's in a nice dry suit and thermals could be nice and toasty.

I did a deep dive last weekend to 52 deg in a 7mm suit with hood and gloves, it was too cold for me.

 

[asiders9]

Diving in Table Rock Lake in Missouri during April when I got certified a few years back was an experience. The water was 56 degrees and that was COLD! Especially below the thermoclines I was freezing. I felt neglected only given a 5mm wetsuit but maybe that's all the store had in my size but I also happen to have 0% body fat so that probably makes a difference.

 

[Winterpeg]

I agree with the writer from Minnesota. When you can no longer be comfortable in a wet suit, it is cold. I did my OW in a 7 mm farmer john style suit, full boots, hood, and gloves, and I still felt cold through the suit, especially in the arms. The water temp down below the thermocline was 4 C (about 39 F). The instructors wear dry suits, but students tough it out and do their OW tests in wet suits because it's easier than having to learn how to operate a dry suit. Some tough divers claimed to be comfortable in the wet suit but it's borderline at that temp.